John Prescott has vowed to see out a third term as deputy prime minister.

In an interview with the Times on Thursday, Prescott said he intended to stay on beyond the next general election.

"I still get a buzz out of this job...and I'll tell Tony Blair what I think is right; that is why I was elected deputy leader," he said.

The deputy prime minister explained his loyalty to Blair in personal terms rather than ideological beliefs.

"I can't say I've ended up as New Labour but leave that aside. I give Blair my loyalty because I'm his deputy and because I think he deserves it," Prescott said.

"Like all prime ministers he has his difficulties from time to time but I think he is quite a courageous guy, he makes his decisions and argues the case. He has also been elected twice on amazing majorities which no one else has been able to achieve."

There was also indirect criticism of former colleagues Robin Cook and Clare Short who resigned from the Cabinet over the war in Iraq.

Their post-resignation comments were dismissed as"not necessarily the same as those I heard from them before".

But Prescott accepts the strong criticism that has been levelled against the government, particularly over Iraq, which he partly puts down to differing views.

"I cannot think of any government which cannot say it could have done things better on occasions," he said.

When questioned about deputising for Tony Blair while he is on holiday, Prescott said: "No one ever claims to actually run the country, do they?

"He's on holiday. It's not my job to keep bothering him about things I can handle myself."

"I remember one year when I had to ring him, he was rescuing somebody from the sea. I knew he was Superman and everything when he said, 'Hang on a second, I'm pulling this guy out of the water' - I should have asked him if he was walking on it at the time."